Satellite imagery pre-processing and feature extraction for the mapping of coastal ecosystems using Google Earth Engine

Healthy coastal ecosystems underpin food security, livelihoods and climate resilience — but many regions lack the tools to monitor them effectively. This practitioner-focused methods paper translates advanced satellite analysis into an accessible workflow using Google Earth Engine. Designed for local managers and researchers, it enables cost-effective mapping of coastal habitats and ecosystem services, even in low-resource settings. By lowering technical barriers, the paper empowers communities and institutions to turn earth-observation data into meaningful coastal management decisions.